[2] The story begins with the garden where resides “Captain Larks,” alias Mr. Arthur, who is neither Mr. Arthur nor "Captain Larks,"[3] but a mysterious soldier who renounced his own good name to save one who was his brother and fellow officer from disgrace.

[3] Mr. Arthur has a daughter, Rose, who, after visiting him as a child during her holidays for several years, at last comes to live with him at his cottage.

[2] The villain of the plot is a Mr. Gaston who attempts every crime from murder to bribery to compass his ends, and succeeds in hoodwinking every one for some time and keeping Mr. Arthur out of his lawful inheritance.

The Oxford Magazine stated that the novel was "nearly equal" to his others, but mentioned the "weakness [which] lies in the artistic treatment of the details of the plot.

"[4] The Academy complained that "Blackmore's characters are too consistently clever", but nevertheless opined that "it is a book to be enjoyed leisurely".